


Playing Sunrise

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quatre's vacation with Duo doesn't go as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing Sunrise

Quatre comes to visit Duo two years after the war is over. Duo's settled in a small town. It's not what some people consider "the middle of nowhere' but it's still farther away than Quatre would have expected. The three hour drive from the airport up into the old, worn mountains is a beautiful one. Quatre can see why Duo decided to live out here. Duo has a small house. They were all given a rather large sum, courtasy of strings pulled by Relena, to "rehablilitate" themselves. So that they could find homes and work, and generally fade as much as possible from the public sight. Of course, Wufei and Heero went to go be Preventers, which isn't all that subtle, but Quatre supposes approved antiterrorist organizations aren't going to annoy anyone. Duo has settled here. Quatre doesn't find it odd that Duo chose to go to Earth, it always seemed to be something he wanted.

Duo greets him at the door with a smile and warm hug. He ushers Quatre inside and shows him to the guest room.  
"It's really the library, but the couch folds out into a bed, and it's even comfortable!" Duo grins. Quatre can't help but smile, it's been a longer time than he'd have liked. After Quatre's unpacked Duo drives them to the town's grocery store in his beat up black pickup, so that Quatre can choose the food he wants. As they peruse the isles Quatre can see how Duo fits in. When he'd recieved the first letter, Quatre couldn't imagine Duo living by himself, in a strange place. Or, well, he could, but the way Duo described it Quatre couldn't see. Quatre had always pictured Duo surrounded by people, up in space with the Sweepers, helping Hilde in the junk yard. Quatre had never seen Duo create his own space. Here he has. Other locals nod and smile at him. Duo stops to ask about someones cat, and someone's kid, and introduces Quatre all around as a "old war buddy of mine". The teenager at the checkout doesn't look at him with wide impressed eyes, but rolls his eyes while grinning and hands over "Mr. Duo's" reciept.  
"Not Mr. Maxwell?" Quatre asks as they leave. Duo laughs, "No, I ask everyone call me Duo, but he has to say 'Mr.' for his job."  
They load the groceries in the truck, it's more food then Quatre would have bought, but Duo's happiness over having a guest, sharing his space and culinary expertise, is evident.

It's summer so it doesn't get dark early. They sit on the front steps eating fresh blueberries, watching the light fade and the neighbor cats stalking across Duo's yard. They talk inanely and Quatre is glad they've kept in touch. Quatre likes writing letters. Duo likes receiving them and doesn't mind writing back. It's not particularly hard to keep in touch with Wufei and Heero, but they're often so busy. Trowa keeps in touch as well in his vauge sort of way, mostly out of reach traveling with the circus. Cathy always fowards their new address, and they do speak more than Quatre would have guessed. But Duo, Duo has always been a good friend. When the shadows grow long enough that the fireflies begin to visibly twinkle they go inside. Quatre has accumulated 6 mosquitoe bites and tries not to scratch them while Duo looks for anti-itching cream in the medicine cabinet. Quatre's bites are not entirely soothed, and the bed does have a rather unfortunate lump where at bout knee level where the fold down support bar reaches to the floor, but he sleeps well all the same.

The next day Quatre wakes up late for the first time in months and truly believes he's on vacation. Duo makes pancakes. Quatre helps, a bit, washing and cutting peaches in the sink. Duo sings while he works and Quatre realizes that he's never really heard Duo sing before. They wind up chorusing Bohemian Rhapsody as it's one of the only things they both know. Quatre tends to listen to symphonic music, the Classics. Duo listens to old "rock and roll". Duo's taking time off from work for Quatre's visit.  
"I've been feeling tired anyways, it's nice not to have to lift anything for a few days." Duo works at the local car repair shop. Quatre's not surprised, everyone figured Duo would wind up tinkering somehow, between the salvage and the scrap yard. Duo fixing cars seems to be right in the flow of things as they should be. Despite his words Duo spends some of the afternoon working on the black truck while Quatre reads a book on the front steps with a borrowed, wide brim, straw hat. He feels vaguely silly but knows his not-peeling, not-red nose will thank him for it. It's hot and Quatre is glad to follow Duo back inside at lunch. The house doesn't have air conditioning, but keeping the blinds drawn and the windows shut seems to hold in the cool night air. They spend the hottest part of the afternoon in Duo's basement where Duo has a game system. They play for a while but Duo get's tired, "Probably shouldn't have worked on the car this morning." he sighs stretching. Quatre nods, feeling lazy and slow himself. The jetlag is catching up. They both turn in early, opening the windows finally to let the cooler evening air swirl in.

The days pass slowly. Quatre wonders if maybe he should be doing something with his vacation. Running Winner Corp means always doing something. And the point of vacation is relaxation, but it's hard to turn off the constant need to work when it's become such a habit. But Duo seems to need the break more than he does, so Quatre reads while Duo naps, sprawled on the couch with a half done crossword gripped loose in his hand. They go for walks, through the gorgeous woods a few blocks beyond Duo's house, and around the town. Quatre finds an icecream store with delicious blackberrie ice cream. It's certainly warm enough to warrant ice cream before noon.

The Thursday of Quatre's first week is a lovely one. Just the right temperature for ice cream. Quatre wakes up dreaming of ice cream for breakfast and takes that as a good sign, an omen to follow. Quatre wanders around the house, but Duo's clearly still asleep so he writes a note and goes to the store himself. He gets back to find Duo eating cheerios with milk flipping channels on the TV.  
"You do realize it's almost noon?" Quatre asks, licking the last of the icecream from his fingers, tossing the napkin in the trash, a perfect two pointer. Duo nods and puts down his spoon.  
"I think I slept funny. My knees are sore, and when you have sore knees who really wants to get out of bed?"  
"Ouch" Quatre agrees, "that's no fun. I tweaked my knee once, I felt like I was going to be limping for ages." Duo nods and stretches slowly, grimacing.  
"Sorry, I guess you wouldn't mind finding another book?" He asks, laughing a little. Quatre grins and goes off to raid the library again.

Duo's legs aren't better the next day, though he gets up before Quatre does, which isn't saying much because Quatre sleeps until ten thrity having been unable to fall asleep the night before. Duo fell asleep at seven pm. Quatre tries not to be worried. Duo just smiles and they make molasses cookies and accidentally burn a batch because Quatre sets the oven to high. Things are almost normal, but Duo's still moving stiffly, and there's a weight of exhaustion to his movements. They spend the afternoon watching movies. Duo spends most of it asleep. At nine pm Quatre helps Duo up and practically pours him into his bed. Duo stirs only a little. Enough to frown and say,  
"Sorry Quatre, I must be coming down with something. I'll just get some more sleep, and try not to be so boring tomorrow."  
Quatre laughs, "Hey, it's fine. I like be bored. The point of vacation is to do nothing. Just feel better, okay." Duo nods and turns into his pillow.

The next morning, Quatre can't wake Duo up. He's breathing, slow and even, but he won't react, not to shaking or shouting or Quatre bursting into tears. Quatre calls 911 and an ambulence comes to the house. The paramedics ask Quatre questions but Quatre has no clue why or what. He describes the symptoms and they rush Duo to the hospital.

This was really not what Quatre intended for vacation. He still has five more days, but Duo is in a coma, flat on a bed in the large city hospital, flown out only hours after he checked in. He's not waking up. The doctors don't seem to know any more than Quatre does. Quatre got a hotel close to the hospital. He could go home he supposes, but he can't seem to leave. So he waits, drifting aimlessly from the floral printed bed to the large wall mirror, to the window looking out over a busy street. He walks to a cafe, it seems like a chain, but not one he recognizes. He buys himself a very frilly drink with extra whipped cream and more sugar than he really wants. Sipping it, he sits waiting for something to happen. His cellphone is the hospitals contact number. Duo with no relatives and all. Quatre has calls in to Wufei and Heero as well. He sent an email and a phone message to Cathy and Trowa. Now all he can do is wait for anyone to respond.

It's Trowa who calls back first. His voice is concerned. Quatre has to swallow several times before he can explain. Cathy too gets on the line and starts looking for the soonest flight.  
"We'll be there, you know we'll be there quick as we can." She says. Quatre wants to say there's no point. They don't know when he'll wake up. They don't even know why he's in a coma. There's no point to be somewhere you can't do anything. But Quatre supposes, like he can't seem to leave, maybe they can't not be here. They were sort of a family, perhaps an extended and distant one, but all the pilots, together the meant something. That something is still important. Wufei calls next, Quatre is asleep and misses the message, it's brief and to the point. They'll be arriving on the first flight in this morning. They would like to know what hotel he's staying with him. And yes, Yuy's coming too. They've just finished an assignment and are catching a red eye as he speaks. Quatre clutches the phone, listening to Wufei's clipped voice and the harsh click as he snapped the phone shut to catch his plane.

It turns out Cathy and Trowa are only an hour behind Wufei and Heero so Quatre greets them all at the airport. He has nowhere better to be. The hospital kicks him out if he stays too long. Quatre doesn't know why he finds the nurses gentle urgings to go home and sleep, or at least to the cafeteria to eat, so terrifying. Quatre isn't thinking well himself anymore. It's a relief to see the others. It feels like with their arrival he's able to give some of that fear to them. He doesn't have to keep watch on his own. After everyone's checked into the hotel they go to the hospital. The nurse doesn't want to let them in, but then she recognizes Wufei and Heero, unsubtle Preventers and all. She doesn't let them in the room but she brings them to where they can look through a window at Duo. He looks for all the world as if he's normally asleep, except for the tubes and monitors, and the sickly white surroundings of hospital sheets, and walls. Quatre holds his arms close across his stomach and breathes slowly, not shaking, not really. Cathy rests a hand on his shoulder and murmurs comfortingly. Quatre can't really hear her, but he sees the look that passes between her and Trowa. Quatre doesn't speak sibling, but he understands it well enough when Trowa guides him away from the glass and out of the hospital. There's a park a few blocks away. Quatre wonders if that's intentional city planning. They walk for a long time and don't say anything. Quatre never has had to say anything around Trowa, and Trowa tends not to speak anyways. It's a nice thing. The silence calms Quatre's jangling nerves. There's a fountain here, that they've somehow found, and Quatre sits down on the lip running his hand through the pool of water beneath. Trowa stands watchful, almost protective, beside him, looking out over the grass to where there's a playground and some small children playing. Quatre breathes.

They all eat dinner together at a Chinese restaurant close to the hotel, close to the hospital. It's not very good, but they laugh a lot. Heero and Wufei consume more alcohol than Quatre would have thought wise. Cathy too for that matter. Wufei announces that Sally is coming in on a flight tomorrow afternoon and Quatre almost giggles. He might be a little tipsy himself.  
"It's like a complete war reuninon!" The others stare at him, but then Trowa's laughing as well and Quatre doesn't feel so stupid. "I wonder if Relena will be here?" Quatre continues, "Too bad Noin and Zechs are on Mars." Then he pauses, sobering quickly at a thought and seriously asks, "Has anyone called Hilde?" The table is silent.  
Wufei shakes his head, "I don't have her number." It turns out no one knows how to contact Hilde. But Heero knows the Preveters have Howard on file and they call Howard and Howard knows how to reach Hilde. Howard hangs up telling them he'll be there in the next few days. Quatre wants to start giggling hysterically, but Hilde is on the line and her voice cuts through everything but his fear. He can hear her start to cry on the other end, a thickening in her voice, pain and disbelief. But he can hear her muscling through it, wanting as many details as the paramedics did. Quatre hangs up feeling like all the water has been wrung out of him, his face is probably red and splotchy. Quatre is glad he went out into the hall to call her and wonders if he can avoid going back to the table. He's leaning against the wall by the bathroom, face briefly washed, but still unable to move when Trowa finds him.  
"Quatre?" Quatre doesn't look at him, "We're going to leave. Cathy and I got your check. Come on." Quatre lets out a breath, it's not a sigh, exactly, and lets Trowa pull him through the restaurant and out to the waiting car. Trowa and Cathy were smart enough to rent one. Cathy's looking at both of them and her face isn't happy. Quatre realizes with a start that he's being an idiot. Trowa's been crying as well. Quatre feels cowardly for hiding in the hall by the bathroom and figures, at least he isn't completely alone in this.

The next day isn't all that different, except Quatre doesn't go to the hospital, and he doesn't leave his room until Hilde bangs on his door demanding to be let in. Quatre and HIide were never close friends. Quatre visited her once or twice when Duo was still working at the scrap yard. Quatre had once thought that Hilde and Duo might be a deal, and Quatre had liked her, both because she made Duo happy, and because she was a genuinely good person. But Duo had left, and Quatre and Hilde hadn't really kept in touch. Quatre is a little surprised when he opens the door to wind up with an armful of Hilde. She hugs him so tight it squeezes the air out of his lungs in a little chuff.  
"You. You." She says, and then pulls back and looks him full in the face. "God, I'm so glad you're here." She kisses his cheek before grabbing his hand and physically hauling him out of his room. Quatre follows lest his arm be torn off. It turns out everyone is playing poker in the common room off the hotel lobby. Hilde joins the game, but somehow manages to keep a firm grip on Quatre's hand, like it's a lifeline. Hilde trounces everyone, except for the time Sally wins. Howard watches with amusement, haggling Wufei and Heero. They eat three bags of potato chips and don't go to bed until well after two am.

The next day is a whirlwind, the climax of the emotional storm Quatre feels he's been sitting in the past 5 days. They go in to the hospital in the morning. Quatre thinks the nurses have perhaps grown used to, or resigned to, Duo's troop of wellwishers. Though perhaps they wouldn't have accepted a crowd this big. Today they don't have to. The nurse bars their way with a stern glare and says that they can't see Duo. Heero attempts to pull rank and after what is almost a yelling row the nurse grudgingly tells Quatre, who is the emergency contact and the "only one who should be here" according to paperwork, that Duo's case has gone over to the CDC and he'll find out more as soon as they do. There's something of an uproar at that, but Quatre doesn't really know because he may or may not have lost it a little there. He is aware of Trowa's arms coming strong around him, which is good because his head may have been about to get well aquainted with the floor. Quatre has never liked hospitals.

They spend most of the day in the waiting area, which probably pisses people off but their tight knit clump is beginning to resemble a company prepared for siege warfare and they're left alone. Quatre spends most of the day dozing against Trowa's chest. He can almost feel the eye conversations happening over his head. Quatre knows he's worrying them but he hurts. He wasn't this sad before everyone was here, it's only getting worse. He can feel Hilde's destress, strong feelings of love always lead to strong feelings of pain. And then there's Duo, who feels distant and like an energy sucking thing, not like the bright, florescent human being that he is. Quatre's chest hurts.

They haven't left for dinner yet when they get the news. Quatre thinks he really does faint from relief this time, but honestly feels he can blame that on the tidal wave of feeling, both his own and the others that washes through. Of course there's the whole "Not out of the woods, possible damage to the nervous system, etc, etc," and apparently it was a really good thing that Quatre got Duo to the hospital as soon as he did.  
"This isn't common." the Doctor says, "but it's happened before. We had a paleontologist, who got bit by a tick out in the field and went into a coma for 3 months. And he wasn't found right away. Mr. Maxwell was lucky this happened when a friend was close by, and that we've had some precedent, though as I've said, this particular reaction is very rare." Quatre hears the man but he doesn't really hear the man beyond the fact that this is good news.

They're all ushered out of the hospital, and reconvene at a restaurant. Somewhere different, with what appears to be Italian food. Quatre can feel the shift, the lighteness in his own step and in those around him. Wufei's laughter is warmer and Sally's cuddled up to his side smiling and telling some story about when she got bit by a tick while back packing in college. They removed it by sticking a "match to it's butt". Cathy is making an "ew" face as Sally continues her 'hideous tales of insects'. Heero just looks relieved. Quatre can't really see Trowa because Trowa is still functioning as something of a human-sized walking stick. Hilde isn't holding his hand, but she's sitting beside him. Quatre is glad because she honestly feels like she's radiating peace. It's rather zen. The food is delicious. The company is impeccable and Quatre had no idea Howard knew that many knock knock jokes. When Quatre goes to bed, he falls asleep almost as soon as his head hits the pillow and he sleeps deeply the whole night. He wakes up feeling warm and bright. It's summer, and the sky is blue. Everyone has the continetnal breakfast together and discusses what to do for the next few days.

"It's uncertain when he'll wake up. The drugs should take effect in the next 24 hours or so, but his recovery may be rocky." Sally says. She stabs an egg with her fork, "But sadly I have to get back to work so I really can't stay."  
"I should be able to stay a few more days, I'm going to have a vidconference with Headquarters this afternoon." Heero says.  
Wufei nods, "I can't think of anything that would be an issue."  
"I'm staying." Hilde says with finality.  
Howard shakes his head, "I've got a business to run, and I really can't drop everything easily. I should be heading back as soon as I can." He sounds sad but Quatre can tell he's not so shaken any more. There's a steadiness to his hands that shows his control over that sadness. Quatre is glad of it. "I'm sure he'll call you as soon as he can." Quatre tells Howard earnestly and Howard smiles. "I know, but I'd like to be here for him. They did say they'll be moving him to where we can visit soon." Howard sighs and holds up his hands, in a "what can you do" gesture. "But I'll be flying back tomorrow morning I think.  
"I have to go as well." Cathy puts in, her eyes hold a question for Trowa. Quatre can feel the rumble of Trowa's voice has he speaks, "Tell them I'll be back in a few days, I have some off time stored up by now I'm sure."  
Cathy laughs at him, telling the others in a fake whispered aside, "He never gets sick or skips work." Quatre can't see the expression Trowa's making but he sees the laughter and amusement on the others faces and leans in just a little when Trowa's arm squeezes lightly around his shoulder. They figure out how to get Howard to the airport and finish their breakfast before heading over the hospital. When they get there Duo has already been moved. He's still unconscious. They all stand or sit around his bed, talking quietly, just being together, being with Duo, until the nurses come to kick them out.

Quatre knows at 4:12 am that Duo has woken up. It's like somewhere inside him a drain has been plugged. Quatre kicks up out of sleep feeling vibrant and alive like he hasn't felt the last week. The influx of energy is almost more than Quatre can take and he feels like singing or dancing. But it's 4:12 am so he goes out on the hotelroom blacony and brings his violin. He brought it to Duo's because Duo always liked to hear him play, but it's sat in it's case neglected through the whole ordeal. Now he takes it out and plays softly as he can so not to wake anyone up. He allows all the energy, the happiness, releif and gratitude and such a feeling of vibrancy wash through him and out through the instrument. He's so wrapped up in it he almost misses the soft knock at the door.  
"Quatre?" It's Trowa's voice. Of course, Trowa is next door. Quatre opens the door to see Trowa looking almost hopeful.  
"Are you? Is Duo?" Trowa asks and Quatre doesn't question the questions just nods, beaming. Trowa doesn't visibly sag with relief, but Quatre can tell all the same.  
"I thought so, I thought maybe your Space Heart. Maybe you could tell?" And Quatre nods, yes that's what he thought as well. There's a small smile playing around Trowa's mouth, and Quatre can't help responding, particularly when Trowa holds out a flute case.  
"May I come in?" Quatre shakes his head and quickly answers.  
"No, don't want to disturb the neighbors. Want to take a walk?" Which is how they wind up playing in the park at sunrise the notes of the violin and the flute heralding both the morning, and all the waking life in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a conversation I had with my supervisor during my summer internship. A friend of his is the paleontologist mentioned in this story. Coma is a rare reaction to the spirochetes that cause lymes disease and there are very few cases of that effect recorded. However lymes is a debilitating and frustrating disease, robbing people of their energy and therefore mobility, and often their livelihoods. There are no currently FDA approved preventative measures. Some cases of lymes, once contracted, can be treated with antibiotics, but it doesn't work for everyone. It can also hard to test for lymes due to some aspects of the spirochete's life cycle. So be careful. If you're in an area with ticks, be sure to do tick checks on a regular basis, particularly if you've been walking through long grass, or in a wooded area. If you find a tick they can be removed gently with tweezers and saved in a jar for later identification. Deer ticks (the one's that carry the spirochetes) are very very small, the size of a freckle, so they can sometimes be hard to identify. Larger ticks (like dog ticks) can also sometimes be removed by lighting a match, then putting it out and quickly pressing the still hot end of the match to the tick's back which often gets them to let go and remove themselves from your skin to escape being burnt. Bathing the skin and scalp and washing clothing upon returning home might prevent the bite and transmission of the disease.


End file.
